Ellie Black of Halifax wins silver in vault at Commonwealth Games

Silver medal winner Ellie Black of Halifax performs during the women’s individual vault final in the artistic gymnastics competition at the Commonwealth Games 2014 in Glasgow, Scotland, on Thursday. (THE ASSOCIATED PRESS)

There was a definite silver lining to Halifax gymnast Ellie Black’s day Thursday at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.

The 2012 Olympian stood a competitor away from the gold medal in the women’s vault, only to have England’s Claudia Fragapane come through with a pair of fine performances to take the top spot on the podium.

“I was super excited with that,” Black said in an interview from the gymnastics venue. “Just to go out and hit my vaults the way I wanted to and finish it off with the silver was amazing.”

A few hours after winning silver, Black placed fourth in uneven bars.

She will get two more chances at medals on Friday with competition in beam and floor exercise.

There was some redemption in the medal performance for the 18-year-old Black, who had some miscues Wednesday to place fourth in the women’s all-around competition. Three competitiors from England took the medals.

Black put down two crackling vaults, scoring 14.333 in each. Increasing the punch of her second vault has been one of her priorities this season.

Black sat at the top of the tables until Fragapane, the all-around champion Wednesday, had a 14.766 in her first vault and a 14.500 to win.

England’s Rebecca Downie (14.666) won the uneven bars with Australia’s Larrissa Miller second (14.566) and England’s Ruby Harrold third (14.366). Black was well back at 13.700.